A short messaging service (SMS) has become a popular method for communication because of its easiness of use and low cost. SMS is a text messaging service using a standardized communications protocol that allows exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices. Most SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages.
A message from a sender is sent to a Short Messaging Service Center (SMSC) which “stores and forwards” the message to a recipient. Some SMSCs may “forward and forget” the message. Message delivery is not always guaranteed, and the sender is often not informed of successful delivery.
When a mobile phone of the recipient is turned off or is in an area not accessible to the mobile phone network, the SMS message is not viewed by the recipient. Even if the recipient's mobile phone is turned on and the SMS message is delivered to the mobile phone, the delivered message is not necessarily read by the recipient soon. For example, if parents are watching TV in a family room and their son sends an SMS message saying he will be coming home late today, it is possible that the parents would not see the mobile phone ringing/vibrating in a kitchen while watching TV, and miss the SMS message for at least some period of time.
Today, it is possible to forward a delivered SMS message to a specific email address designated by a user. However, the message forwarding function is set on, and local to, the mobile phone, and if the mobile phone is not turned on, no message is forwarded. In addition, to receive the forwarded SMS message to the email address, the recipient has to turn on, for example, a PC to read the forwarded SMS message. Again, the intended recipient may not notice and review the message for some time.
Accordingly, there is a need for providing a method or a system that enables an SMS message to be forwarded to any device connected to a network by a server in a “push” manner.